High-explosive composition



Patented Mar. 19, 1 929.

PA ENT OFFICE.

FREDRIGH OLSEN, OF DOVER, NEW JERSEY.

HIGH-EXPLOSIVE COMPOSITION.

F0 Drawing.

The subject matter of the present invention is a high explosive composition.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of an explosive which will generate a maximum of power at the moment of explosion, but which will at the same time be sufiiciently insensitive to permit its ready transportation and use under ordinary service conditions.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel arrangement and combination of ingredients hereinafter described and claimed it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The powder which forms the subject matter of my invention is made preferably from ammonium perchlorate, an inorganic nitrate, a carbonaceous ingredient, ferrosilicon, and from a nitroaromatic substance, such as a trinitrotoluene, which will serve the purpose of sensitizing the ammonium perchlorate.

A combination which has been found successful in practice is as follows:

Percent. Ammonium perchlorate 32 Vegetable ivory meal 14: Barium nitrate 28 Trinitrotoluene 15 Ferrosilicon 1O Graphite 1 While the composition above cited has been found to give excellent results, it is by no means intended to limit my invention to the ingredients or proportions mentioned in the formula given. Modifications will readily occur'to those skilled in the art. For' the vegetable ivory meal, hard wood sawdust or any other suitable carbonaceous ingredient may be substituted. Instead of barium nit-rate any other suitable oxidizing agent such as sodium or potassium nitrate may be employed, but the use of barium nitrate is desirable in view of re- Applieation filed. October 30, 1923. Serial No. 671,749.

duced hygroscopicity of this substance. For the trinitrotolue-ne any nitroaromatic compound, or in fact any explosive having similar properties may be substituted. While the use of ferrosilicon is deemed advisable, aluminum, calcium or any other substance of high calorific power may be employed. The use of graphite is not essential, but apparently assists in rendering the substance more free flowing.

For the best results it is preferable to use the ingredients mixed in a finely divided form preferably through 80 mesh or even finer. If trinitrotoluene is used, the fineness of this substance is immaterial, inasmuch as this compound may be used in its molten state.

An explosive containing ingredients such as cited in the formula given or ingredients which are the equivalent thereof, is especially useful in fragmentation hand grenades where it has been found to burst the grenade shell into the maximum number of eflective fragments while at the same time giving the minimum number of ineffective pieces. The explosive, however, is by no means limited to this use as it may be employed for blasting purposes as a bomb or shell filler, etc.

I claim:

1. A high explosive including ammonium perchlorate, barium nitrate, vegetable ivory meal, ferrosilicon, trinitrotoluene and graphite.

2. A high explosive including ammonium perchlorate, barium nitrate, vegetable ivory meal, ferrosilicon and trinitrotoluene.

3. An explosive including ammonium perchlorate, barium nitrate, ve-getable ivory meal, ferrosilicon and a nitrohydrocarbrm.

4. An explosive including ammonium perchlorate, inorganic nitrate, vegetable ivory meal, ferrosilicon and a nitroaromatic substance.

5. A non-plastic explosive including ammonium perchlorate, an inorganic nitrate, a

non-explosive fuel, and ferrosilicon.

FREDRICH OLSEN. 

